How do you choose your first telescope? Or build one from first principles? What can the deep sky offer you season-by-season? How do you get started in astrophotography? & progress to CCD imaging? The Guide to Amateur Astronomy answers the questions of the novice & the experienced amateur astronomer in one easy-to-use & comprehensive account. Throughout the emphasis is on practical methods to get you started & then develop your skills with lavish illustrations to show you just what is possible. This second edition of the highly successful Guide has been fully revised & updated. It now takes you from basic `piggyback` astrophotography, through the use of a cold camera to state-of-the-art CCD imaging; from studies of the planets to the most distant objects in the Universe. From guidelines for the care & adjustment of your telescope through to lists of the spectral classification of stars, amateur astronomy societies & clubs, all the information you need for your voyage of discovery & revelation is provided in this self-contained, helpful guide. ...

The palaces built in Rome in the seventeenth & eighteenth centuries are some of the most magnificent buildings in Europe
- yet
...

We travel to find ourselves; to run away from ourselves. `A Guide to Berlin` is the name of a short story written by Vladimir Nabokov in 1925, when he was a young man of 26, living in Berlin. A group of six international travellers, two Italians, two Japanese, an American & an Australian, meet in empty apartments in Berlin to share stories & memories. Each is enthralled in some way by the work of Vladimir Nabokov, & each is finding their way in deep winter in a haunted city. A moment of devastating violence shatters the group, & changes the direction of everyone`s story. Brave & brilliant, a Guide to Berlin traces the strength & fragility of our connections through biographies & secrets. ...

Are you buying a home for the first time, wanting to sell & buy again, or wanting to earn income from renting out property? A guide to buying or selling a house in South Africa is packed with ideas about how you can make the most out of investing in property. You`ll find: Step-by-step guidelines that take you through the complete process of buying & selling a home; objective information about the pros & cons of buying & selling privately, using an agency or going for other options; independent advice on what to consider when looking for finance; practical tips on how to obtain the best price, whether buying & selling. A clear outline of the rights & responsibilities of all parties involved in a transaction. Thorough explanations of documents involved, & possible legal complications. A trouble-shooter`s guide to both the small & big things that can go wrong. In this guide, the author makes available to the public the expertise gleaned from her years of experience as an estate agent. Her intention is to help `maximize the gain & minimize the risk` of investing in the property market. ...

This A-Z guide provides a wealth of information for every country in the world. Each entry gives a brief history & outlines contemporary social, economic, political & religious issues. In addition, for each country there is a clear map & a quick-reference fact box containing data & statistics including languages, population, GDP, capital city, life expectancy, & more. The inclusion of at least one web link for every country is a new feature to this edition & web links are conveniently accessible via the Guide to Countries of the World companion website. Invaluable supplementary material

Includes:: detailed indicator tables showing income & poverty, health & population etc, & list of international organizations, such as the EU & the African Union, with essential information about these groupings. Revised & fully up to date with the latest key facts, this accessible guide is ideal for students & teachers of geography, politics, economics, world religions, & world history at all levels, as well as anyone wanting a home reference book to accompany an atlas.

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For those serving at sea, professionally connected with the sea or just interested in ships for their own sake, this book provides a refreshing insight into a range of nautical subjects with something for everyone. Born some 33 years ago of a need for shipbrokers to understand the sea-going subjects to undertake the examinations for the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, this updated & expanded version, now of interest to a wider audience, owes its existence to the unexpected interest Bernadette showed in explanations of ships viewed from the window of the author’s office overlooking the port. ...

The engaging sequel to Nicholas Drayson`s much-loved A Guide to the Birds of East Africa sees the return of Mr Malik & the East African Ornithological Society. Mr Malik has been busy planning the Asadi Club`s annual safari. Yet a series of crimes puts the club`s very existence at risk. It is up to Mr Malik & Co. to solve a decades-old murder, recover the club mascot & identify, once & for all, the most dangerous beast in Africa. Not to mention his only daughter may
- or may not
- be getting married in a week. Will Mr Malik again prevail over Kenyan politics, a reluctant bride & buried secrets?

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A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica is a beautifully produced paperback of substantial size which goes into considerable detail on the subject of the birds of Costa Rica. Hundreds of bird types are illustrated in colour, & given detailed & systematic descriptions of their appearance, habits, calls, nests, rarity & geographical distribution. ...

Reserved, honourable Mr Malik. You wouldn't notice him in a Nairobi street
- except, perhaps, to comment on his carefully sculpted
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For lovers of Alexander Mc Call Smith, Nicholas Drayson introduces the charming Mr Malik & the East African Ornithological Society in ”A Guide to the Birds of East Africa”. Reserved, honourable Mr Malik. You wouldn`t notice him in a Nairobi street
- except, perhaps, to comment on his carefully sculpted comb-over
- but beneath his unprepossessing exterior lie a warm heart & a secret passion. Not even his closest friends know it, but Mr Malik is head-over-heels in love with the leader of the local Tuesday-morning bird walk, Rose Mbikwa. Little can he imagine the hurdles that lie before him. Even as he plucks up the courage to ask for Rose`s h&, thieves, potential kidnappers & corrupt officials, not to mention one particularly determined love rival, seem destined to thwart Mr Malik`s chances. Will an Indian gentleman in the heart of Africa be defeated by the many obstacles that stand between him & his heart`s desire? Or will honour & decency prevail? ”A funny, ingenious & touching love story”. (Joanne Harris, ” The Times”). ”A delightful comedy... It invites comparison to ” The No.1 Ladies` Detective Agency” books, but it`s original &, if anything, has more depth”. (” Daily Mail”). ” Sweet, charming & utterly wonderful on the subject of birds”. (” Metro”). Nicholas Drayson was born in England & has lived in Australia since 1982, where he studied zoology & a Ph D in 19th century Australian natural history writing. He has worked as a journalist in the UK, Kenya & Australia, writing for publications such as the ” Daily Telegraph” & ” Australian Geographic”. He is the author of three other novels, ” Confessing a Murder”, ” Love & the Platypus” & ”A Guide to the Beasts of East Africa”.

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